Healing Rain
by Feather
Summary: While trying to gather her speculations on Rei and Usagi's fight, Makoto is forced to reconsider her values and to tell the senshi of her past....


The weather was rainy that day. The rain pounded   
gently on the roof, falling from the dense, dark clouds   
that hung thickly overhead. Makoto despised rain, but today   
it seemed like a nice change from the humid weather they   
had been having in Tokyo earlier that week.   
Makoto loved the feeling right before a thunderstorm,   
despite that she hated rain. The intense feeling always   
rushed through her body. She loved how the clouds would   
brew darker and darker and the sky would take a gray tint,   
and how then the clouds would turn black. She loved the   
echoing thunder that pounded through her ears, and the way   
the streaking lightning would bright up the sky. She loved   
the harsh break of light that the lighting would bring and   
the way the thunder seemed so perfectly fitting for it.   
Makoto stretched out, yawning, thinking quick and   
hard. She supposed that it was a good thing it was raining,   
not only because the plants needed it, but because of what   
had happened yesterday. Rei and Usagi had gotten into   
another fight. That had started it.   
  
Late afternoon light streamed through the shrine   
windows, the light a warm yellow. Around the low table sat   
all the inner senshi, at a study session. Usagi had been   
sitting on a low, pale pink cushion, her pale hair   
streaming to the floor. The loose curls had been pulled   
into their usual odango style, but a few stray strands had   
been pulled behind her ears. Her brilliant blue eyes had   
been open wide with shock. Her lips, blushed with pale   
pink, had been opened in surprise. Her cheeks were flushed   
as she stared at Rei.   
The usually tranquil girl was aflame with anger. Rei   
had donned her priestess attire. Her dull raven's wing   
black hair had been pulled back loosely with a tie to hold   
it back. Her indigo eyes danced, looking fiercely at Usagi,   
daring anyone to say anything. Her face, too, was flushed,   
as she hissed words out at Usagi, accusations, like water   
dropping on a hot skillet. The other senshi looked at Usagi   
and Rei in equal stun as Usagi.   
Minako looked uneasily at the two senshi. Ami looked   
flustered, trying to stop Rei with almost silent protests   
that fell on deaf ears. Makoto closed her eyes, silent,   
clearly thinking.   
A soft voice cut through the harsh words that had come   
out of Rei's mouth. "Why are you wasting time on this   
argument? Why do you waste your breath, when it may be the   
last you will ever take? Why do you scold Usagi, Rei, for   
ruining your good dress if there is no use for it unless   
you wear it, not just saving it for that "someday"? Have   
you ever thought that this might be your last day in your   
body, that at any second you might just be snatched away? I   
had not seen my parents before they died. How was I to know   
that in one moment, they would be gone, just like that? My   
strong mother and father, emotionally as well as   
physically, had just been snatched by death in a second.   
Why do you scold if those words may be your last?   
"My mother had bought a dress about two years before   
she died. It was beautiful, a cream dress that was made for   
her, and she never wore it. She was always saving it for a   
special occasion. Is not everyday a special occasion, Rei   
and Usagi? Is not everyday you are blessed to be able to   
look at the flowers, smell the rain, hear a child's   
laughter; is it not that that is a special occasion? I   
never save anything; I never know when the day might not be   
my last. Why should you argue, if it is not entirely   
important?"   
Makoto's speech shocked everyone. Rei recovered   
quickly though. "So I suppose I shouldn't save my   
friendship for a person who thinks that my things aren't   
good enough for her?"   
Makoto gasped; that was unfair and both Rei and Makoto   
knew it. Rei couldn't apologize; Makoto couldn't forgive.   
"It will rain soon," Makoto, said, "I can feel the   
thunder and I should get home." She ran out the door.   
  
Makoto breathed in the scent of her favorite flower,   
lilac, and relaxed again. She walked over to the CD player   
and pushed the play button. The liquid music washed over   
her in a tide and rush of deep soothing noises of violins   
and cellos. A string quartet played her favorite song:   
Canon in D. Michiru had first introduced her to classical   
music.   
  
Hesitantly, Makoto walked into Michiru's apartment.   
"Hi," she said nervously to the senshi of water. She had   
once been so cold, and Makoto still remembered the sting of   
her insults from before the war against Mistress 9 had been   
finished.   
"Welcome, Makoto," Michiru greeted her warmly. "I just   
wanted to share and beautiful piece with you. I know you   
can appreciate this."   
Michiru pushed a play button and the music rushed out   
and Makoto breathless. She looked out into space, crying   
softly, tears gently running down her face. Michiru   
noticed, and waited until the song was over to rush over to   
Makoto. "I am sorry to upset you, I hoped you would like   
the song. You are the person, emotionally; that I knew you   
would appreciate this song. You like it, don't you? You   
wouldn't be crying otherwise."   
"It's so beautiful." Makoto said, a lone tear running   
down her face while she laughed merrily. "It makes me want   
to laugh and to cry and to remember everything that has   
happened to me and to appreciate all I have. And look, I am   
doing all!"   
  
A light knock pounded the door, abruptly whisking the   
memory away and sending Makoto into reality again. She felt   
so whole when she listened; she felt like she knew who she   
really was. Makoto opened the door, to find Rei.   
Rei had a dark dress on that matched her eyes. It was   
had spaghetti straps and a high waistline. At the knees, it   
frocked out into a semi-full skirt. Rei's hair fell to her   
shoulders. She looked frail, her skin pale, her image not   
the tranquil, strong self Makoto was used to seeing. "Hi."   
Makoto opened the door wider, blushing. "Hi."   
Rei hesitated. "I like your pajamas." Makoto was still   
in pajamas, a pants set that had little ducks carrying   
umbrellas and dancing in the rain.   
Makoto blushed again and smiled. "Thanks," she said   
sheepishly. "Come in."   
Rei leaned her umbrella next to a stand. "I love your   
apartment. You've redecorated." Makoto's apartment had been   
changed to all white. A thick white carpet covered a deep   
oak wooden floor. White whicker covered with thick white   
cushions sat as couches in the living room. The living room   
connected to a white tiled kitchen with a high ceiling that   
had white counters. Screen doors that could be pushed to   
cover the sink, oven, and fridge. Huge vases of lilacs lay   
scattered about the entire apartment. The whole effect was   
very soothing. Both senshi relaxed a little.   
Rei fidgeted. "I'm really sorry about yesterday. I've   
been thinking about what you said, and I realized that it's   
true: I haven't been taking time to tell you guys how much   
I love you all. We are the senshi; we are eternally   
connected forever. I've really got to apologize to a lot of   
people. I am really sorry, Makoto. I've kind of been having   
trouble lately, and I've taken it out on you and Usagi."   
Makoto looked away from Rei, out over her   
neighborhood. "Rei, I've noticed. You seem...distant all the   
time. I don't want to root into your troubles. I'm just   
glad that you are thinking about what I said miss my   
parents, more than ever lately. You guys are the only   
family I have left now."   
Rei looked at Makoto. "You're my family, too, Makoto."   
They looked out over Tokyo together, in a beautiful, deep   
silence. The rain pounded on the roof; the healing rain.   
  
  
  
Author's notes: Let's see here...well first I want to mention   
that I have two little personal touches in this story.   
First, the ducky pajamas are real *smiles* I made them with   
fabric my Grandma bought me. Second, Canon in D by Pachbel   
is my favorite song, or at least my favorite classical   
song. Though Anita's Dance by Greig comes close. I would   
like to thank all the reviewers and the readers who have   
bothered to read this, though half of you who read this   
won't review. *whispers* I don't always review, if I'm not   
in a good mood. Thank you for reading. Comments are   
accepted directly to UmbrellaKitty@hotmail.com. 


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